


A Song for the King

by Risingstorm15



Category: GOT7, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alpha Choi Youngjae, Alpha Im Jaebum | JB, Alpha Jackson Wang, Alpha Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Alpha Kim Namjoon | RM, Alpha Kim Seokjin | Jin, Alpha Kim Taehyung | V, Alpha Kunpimook Bhuwakul | BamBam, Alpha Mark Tuan, Alpha Min Yoongi | Suga, Alpha Park Jimin (BTS), Alpha Park Jinyoung (GOT7), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Historical, Enemies to Lovers, Mating Bites, Multi, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Jeon Jungkook, Omega Kim Yugyeom, non-con biting, only at first though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:42:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29034873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Risingstorm15/pseuds/Risingstorm15
Summary: In the kingdom of Seoul, Omegas are highly sought after by Alpha packs for their special ability to lend their strength to their Alphas, thus giving them enhanced strength, speed, wisdom and agility. Omegas are not valued by their packmates as anything more than servants, and all Omega youth dread the annual Omega Race where Alphas will force them to join their pack.Best friends Jungkook and Yugyeom are chosen by prestigious packs to become their Omegas. Jungkook's pack may be sweet and treat him like a treasure more precious than gold, but he can never forget that he was unwilling bound to them, whilst Yugyeom's pack treat him lower than dirt because of a misunderstanding.Can bonds ever be grown from the Omega Race?
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook & Everyone
Comments: 44
Kudos: 206





	1. The Race

On the day Jungkook’s life changed forever he probably should have been paying more attention to his surroundings. Instead of planning his route through the dense forest that bordered the kingdom, he was mulling over just how scratchy his outfit was.

The kingdom of Seoul was famous for its Omega Race, wherein all the Omegas in the land who were of age were rounded up and brought to the mansion at the edge of the woods. Here they would be pampered and dressed by stylists before being forced to race in the woods.

Jungkook would be fine if he only had to race against his fellow Omegas, and with his natural athletic ability and toned muscles he would have no problem out-pacing them. The only issue was the Alphas who would be let into the woods after fifteen minutes had elapsed.

Further along the wood’s edge, Jungkook could make out the shapes of the Alpha line, all jockeying and shoving one another in their pathetic displays of dominance. In comparison, there were far more Alphas competing than there were Omegas to go around, and the sight of them caused the porridge Jungkook had eaten earlier to churn in his stomach.

Sometimes Omegas could be mauled when more than one Alpha representative attempted to claim them for their pack.

He was unaware that he had been staring at the Alphas for quite some time until a sharp elbow caught him in the ribs and he whipped his head to the side to see his best friend Yugyeom giving him a pointed look.

‘Jungkook, don’t let the matron catch you staring. She’s about to start the speech’.

Jungkook flashed Yugyeom a small smile of gratitude for the warning, and two of them moved closer together, comfortably sharing warmth in the cool chill of sunset.  
On a hastily erected platform which placed her high above the crowd stood the matron, the evil bitch in charge of the Omega Race every year. Alphas respected her for her ‘important duty to society’ but every Omega knew to be wary of that sharp smile and her fake personality.

Dressed in a black pantsuit and killer heels, she tapped the microphone and began her speech.

‘Good evening Alphas and Omegas of Seoul. We are gathered here tonight for what will undoubtedly be another successful year of the Race,’ she began haughtily.

Yugyeom sneered in disgust, and waves of anger rolled off of the Omega crowd in response.

‘Omegas, you have been given the sacred duty by your birthright to be the source of energy for your pack, you are to be obedient, submissive and willing at all times,’  
Another discontented rumble pierced the air, causing her to glare sharply at them.

‘Omegas, you may begin the Race when the horn is blown, may you find happiness with your Alphas’.

Even to the most gullible listener it was clear that that last bit was forced, and Jungkook growled lowly as he crouched down with Yugyeom, muscle coiled and ready to spring. Little did the matron know, but Jungkook and Yugyeom didn’t intend to allow any Alpha to control them.

At the long, drawn out tone of the horn, the two of them leapt away in synch and raced for the darkest patch of the woods, their strong legs churning away. Yugyeom’s height gave him long strides which could allow him to match Jungkook’s shorter but more swift pace.

As they flowed between trees and other fallen debris, the fading sunlight forcing them to trust their instincts and track their way through the woods, Jungkook felt as though the hairs on the back of his neck were suddenly standing up.

The Alphas must have been set loose.

‘What’s our strategy Kookie? Are we hiding or evading?’ Yugyeom asked, barely sounding out of breath.

‘Depends,’ Jungkook replied as he skipped over a log, ‘We don’t know what weapons a potential Alpha may have brought. Once we know we’ll adapt’

The aim of the Omegas was to attempt to evade the Alphas to ‘allow only their true Alpha to find them’, but the Alphas had a much easier job, track down whichever Omega they fancied the scent of and take them down.

When the Omega was out cold it signalled the Alpha’s victory, as their opponent was now vulnerable to them. At least in theory that’s why Omegas were knocked out when caught, but in reality it was because the matron wouldn’t allow them to voice their displeasure when the officials dipped their fingers in ink to sign the contract which bonded them to the Alpha’s pack for life.

This way they had no choice. Far less messy.

To take down the Omegas the Alphas could take one weapon with them, with the most common being a lasso or a net of some kind. Few decided to go more high tech since doing it old school apparently signified ‘superior Alpha strength’.

Yugyeom stumbled slightly as the soft dirt beneath his feet crumbled but he swiftly regained his stride again, and the two Omegas slowed to navigate the softer ground. Some sections of the forest had fewer trees, and the dirt was soft and loose from having little to stabilise the topsoil, which left their trail slightly more difficult as a fall could damage an ankle or leg and cause problems with the continuation of the race.

As he did so, Jungkook still couldn’t deny that his Omega was on edge and he knew Yugyeom had also noticed the feeling of unease as his eyes had a faint sheen of Omega purple shining through.

That feeling grew with the sound of a small cry in the distance and the loud howl of triumph that followed. It seemed an Omega had been caught not far away from their location, which never boded well as it meant that other Alphas who had been stalking the victim were likely close by.

Or indeed much closer than expected, Jungkook realised, as his focus on the precarious trail had left him vulnerable, and two low growls were now piercing the air.

A small whizzing noise caused him to gasp as a small red-feathered dart embedded itself in a tree just past where Yugyeom’s head had been.

The two Omegas locked eyes with fear as they both ran, having almost reached the edge of the softer soil area anyway. Jungkook focussed on pushing himself as fast as he could go, the feeling of the pounding of his feet and the sound of Yugyeom’s breathing beside him keeping him going.

He was almost to a dense section of trees where he might have been able to evade further darts when a sharp pain exploded in his thigh, causing him to stumble mid-stride. As he fumbled, another sharp pain exploded in his shoulder and he was sent sprawling to the ground, his teeth gritted against the stings blossoming across his skin.

A dark shape was upon him the moment he hit the ground and Jungkook cried out at the suddenness of it, his body writhing beneath the heavier weight of the Alpha who was barely visible in the gloom.

‘I finally got you,’ the Alpha stated, relief clear in his tone as he pushed down on Jungkook’s flailing limbs to restrain him.

Jungkook whined loudly at the Alpha’s words, frustration flowing through him as the strength left his limbs and he was unable to escape. The red eyes of the Alpha which were just about all he could see lowered towards him as he bent down, what looked like concern shining through them.

‘Don’t be scared, Omega, you’ll be happy with my pack’.

No, Jungkook thought bitterly, he would never be happy being forced into service without a single chance of ever escaping to the life he wished he could lead. At least Yugyeom might have a chance to live their dream of taking the stage together.

Muffled crying filled the night air and through a darkening gaze Jungkook turned to look at where his Alpha was staring and felt his heart break at the sight of Yugyeom in a tight headlock, hands clawing at the strong arm around his neck.

But unlike the Alpha straddling Jungkook, Yugyeom’s Alpha showed no concern or remorse for the terrified Omega whose struggles had slowed with the lack of air.  
Just as the darkness glazed over his eyes, he felt his body pulled off the ground as though he weighed nothing, and his head was positioned against a warm chest.

‘My dear Omega, you and your friend have been long awaited for’.


	2. Love and Hatred

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We discover why Jungkook and Yugyeom were targeted by the Kim and Im packs.

Three years ago: The Kim pack

‘Should we really be doing this, Seokjin? What if we get caught?’ 

Seokjin glanced at his nervous packmate with amusement dancing in his smile.

‘We’re royalty, Joon, we’ll just order them to leave us alone’

The six royal princes of Seoul wandered comfortably through the city streets, smiling and nodding to other pedestrians as they passed. With black masks and hats pulled low over their faces they were hardly recognisable as the royal Alphas whose words and images were all over the media.  
\  
They had never wished to live another life because the power they were owed as princes allowed them to make much more of a difference than if they were commoners, but the freedom that the rest of society experienced was something that they craved. So every few months they would sneak out of the palace and wander the streets, buying cheap clothes and rice cakes on street corners, relishing in the feeling of being unnoticed.

Usually their wanderings were in sparsely populated areas, but tonight the city was alight for the Festival of the Maidens. Traditionally the festival was an occasion for women to dress in their finery and be celebrated for their contribution to society, whilst the best part of the night was when the ladies could be crowned the Queen of the Maidens and be allowed to sit on a flowery ‘throne’ for the rest of the night.

It was said that whoever won was sure to catch the eye of a rich and handsome pack.

Now that society had evolved, the Festival of the Maidens was much more open, and men and women all dressed up and could be crowned.

Two days before the festival Taehyung had knocked on the door to Seokjin’s office, his hair adorably fluffy and wild from an impromptu nap. He had crossed the room swiftly and had curled up on Seokjin’s lap, contentment flowing through the pack bond.

‘Can we go to the festival, Jinnie?’ Taehyung had asked, his eyes big and hopeful.

Seokjin had never been able to deny his baby Alpha anything when he looked so cute, and soon enough he had dragged the whole pack out to fulfil Taehyung’s wishes.

Now just before sunset they arrived at their destination, the huge park where a stage had been set up for groups to perform in the hopes of one of them being crowned the Queen (or King) of the Maidens.

They sat on the lush grass, cuddling up to one another to avoid the breeze in such a way that no one could mistake them for anything but a close-knit pack unit. The performances breezed by, with comedians, singers and acrobats tumbling for the audience, and with each bright and colourful act Seokjin watched the smiles of his pack grow.

Satisfaction thrummed through him at their happiness, and with a contented sigh he leant back against a tree and watched as the musicians started up a well-known traditional piece.

Suddenly the blank stage was filled with a small group of dancers, all clad in black robes, who danced in large, sweeping movements, their blood-red fans sweeping like wings. They came together and ebbed away again like the tide, but somehow in the move they had hidden the arrival of the lead dancer, who now took the stage to the backdrop of the setting sun.

Jimin, who had claimed the spot snuggled into his side suddenly gripped his hand tightly, a small gasp leaving his lips.

Seokjin couldn’t blame him for his wonder.

The lead dancer wore a crimson robe with gold accents that seemed to glow in the waning light, the gold of his fans shimmering with each move. He was grace in human form, spinning and leaping as naturally as a bird in flight, each movement perfectly timed with the music.

In that moment as they watched the dancer, it seemed to the Kim pack as if those huge, dark eyes rimmed with pretty lashes were staring straight at them, as if challenging them to ever be worthy of his presence.

And like the pied piper, when the music faded and he was once again swept off stage by the shadowy black dancers, Seokjin had to stop himself following madly.

‘Seokjin, I don’t care if we have to reveal ourselves, I need to know who he was,’ Hoseok mumbled.

Agreement pulsed along the pack bond so strongly that they were immediately sneaking around to the back of the stage, hoping for a glimpse of the crimson dancer.  
The other dancers clad in black were packing away the equipment, and Namjoon crossed over the closest one, a tall boy with adorable features.

‘Excuse me, but who was the dancer in red?’

The boy’s face lit up in a smile, ‘oh you mean my friend, Jeon Jungkook? Yeah, he’s amazing isn’t he!’

‘Simply ravishing’ Seokjin whispered under his breath, too softly for anyone else to hear.

They searched the festival high and low, but even when Jungkook was crowned the Queen of the Maidens, he did not show up to receive the award and instead it was given to the runner up. It was strange the way that his dance stuck in their memory, and was often brought up when they had time to relax together. Each time they spoke of him they had expressed their desire to see him once again, and to feel that siren’s pull. 

After three years when Seokjin received the list of Omegas entering the Omega Race in the hopes that one of them would interest his pack, and he saw Jungkook’s name clearly typed beside his picture and information that strange desire suddenly made sense.

They had felt a need for him because he was their destined Omega. 

Hoseok, their fastest and most agile member, had been signed up as their representative within minutes of his announcement.

‘Go, bring our Omega home’

Twelve years ago: The Im pack

Their home was modest, but it was theirs, and that was all that mattered. 

For their services to the crown as the king’s head of security, the Im pack had been given a large house at the edge of the palace grounds, where the gardens met the woods. They were a fairly large pack, with six families all living together as a unit, and Jaebum’s father leading them all. With so many Alpha children running around, the adults were always sending them outside to play for peace and quiet, and this day was no different, with the children all being bundled outside.

‘Tag, you’re it!’

Jaebum giggled as he raced away from Youngjae, the younger Alpha letting out an indignant cry as he was tagged. The six packmates had been playing in the woods for a long while, and yet they were still burning off the energy that came with being young Alphas.

Sprinting behind a tree, Jaebum watched as Youngjae gained on Jackson, who hadn’t realised fast enough that he was being targeted. As he watched from his vantage point, he noticed that it was harder to see his packmates in the forest gloom, and a glance at the sky told him that it was getting dark.

‘Guys!’ he called out, revealing himself.

The others stopped their mad chasing and glanced over at him, trained from birth to follow his lead as the next head Alpha of the pack.

‘We should get home, our mummas will be getting worried’

Grumbling slightly as their playing was called off, they slowly trudge back towards the house, playfully shoving each other every now and then as their happiness radiated. As he led the way, Jaebum knew that he never wanted his life to change from these sunny days, warm hugs and contented bonds.

A strange scent caught his nose as they neared home, and he sniffed exaggeratedly when he recognised the acrid scent of smoke.

‘Ugh, did Bam Bam’s daddy try to cook again?’ Mark complained, wrinkling his nose at the scent.

Bam Bam’s annoyed defense of his clumsy but incredibly smart father was drowned out by a loud crackling noise, and a strong red glow through the border trees. With a sudden numbing sense of horror, the six children took in the sight of their home covered in flames, smoke reaching towards the heavens.

The glow was fierce and yet their faces were pale against it, as they could make out no familiar faces safely outside.

‘Oh no, they’re still inside!’ Jackson gasped, tears streaming from his eyes.

They ran on stubby, stumbling legs towards the back door and noticed a heavy iron lock had been fasted on the outside, which they would have no hope in breaking. Through the laundry windows above their heads all they could make out was smoke and flame.

With gasping breaths against the cloying smoke, they dashed around the side of the house to attempt to enter through the front door, only to halt at the sight of unfamiliar Alphas circled around another Alpha on the ground, who smelt like misery and blood.

A tall, tattooed man sneered at the victim on the ground, and grabbed him by his hair, revealing the swollen and soot covered features of Jaebum’s father.

‘Fa-’ before he could finish the desperate cry, Bam Bam covered his mouth and they ducked behind the corner, watching the scene unfold unnoticed.

‘I told you that you would pay for outing my crimes to the senate,’ the tattooed giant sneered, his features flickering in the fire’s light.

Only a weak cough exited their head Alpha’s mouth, accompanied by a spray of blood.

‘Now we’re even,’ the stranger growled before partially shifting so that his claws sprouted and slicing clean through their leader’s throat and dropping the body with a thump to water the dirt with crimson.

Jaebum sobbed, tears clouding his vision as his strength left his body and the six children sat unable to help as the strange piercing noise they would later recognise to be agonized screaming stopped and the flames burnt themselves out.

When dawn’s light filtered into the valley the soot covered packmates were woken from where they had passed out from their tears and exhaustion by the palace guards.

‘We’re so sorry for your loss. Another attack had us occupied, we couldn’t get here fast enough’

Jaebum had gazed up with red, miserable eyes, ‘Who did this?’

A hard scowl crossed one of the guardsmen’s features, ‘it was that bastard lord, Kim Do-Hyeon’.

Gradually the six grew older and grew their bonds as a much smaller pack with Jaebum as their lead Alpha, and through the years had trained to reclaim their family’s old position as the head of the palace guardsmen.

They had become best friends with the princes, and had made the best of the situation at hand, and yet their hatred for Kim Do-Hyeon and his pack still burned in their hearts, leading them to train until they were stronger than any other Alphas in the land, and capable of reducing the man to nothing but a bothersome bloodstain.

But by the time they had reached maturity Kim Do-Hyeon had killed himself with alcohol poisoning and his pack had dispersed to other crime families and gambling rings, unable to be brought to justice in the way they deserved.

The only thing left was his son, an Omega named Kim Yugyeom, who shared similar features to his father on his Omega Run form, and renewed the rage in the Im Pack’s hearts.

‘With the way he was raised that Omega can’t be anything but evil, and he will bear the burden of our rage and suffering until our families have tasted vengeance’.


	3. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jungkook and Yugyeom awaken, though with very different experiences.

Yugyeom’s mind awoke before his body.

Sluggishly, he shifted his head on the cold, hard surface he lay on, whilst his mind screamed at him to GET UP. He remembered snatches of the day before, of lining up for the Omega Race with humiliation coursing through his bones, aware of the eyes that were riveted on his traditionally dressed form. He felt like a cow at the meat markets, scrutinised and weighed up for how much they thought he’d be worth to them.

Maybe being a cow would be simpler, at least then his future would be certain.

His whole life had been uncertainty, living with his mother who was a Beta baker, helping her with her business and becoming mature far too soon. Always being teased for being the son of an absentee father who his mother refused to talk about.

If he didn’t have a father to speak of, then how could he ever truly know his own identity?

Jungkook was his saving grace, becoming his friend without caring about the stigma, helping each other through their presentations, hurting and aching for something they didn’t understand. The thought of Jungkook brought an image to his mind, of a tall and handsome Alpha with dark brown hair straddling his friend on the forest floor. But instead of the malicious glee they had always thought Alphas would show their captured Omegas, Jungkook’s Alpha had a tenderness in his gaze that seemed to say that the Omega was a treasure, something precious to behold.

Maybe his Alpha, who had been working with the nice one, would look at him the same way?

But the last memory he had dampened that small spark of excitement, as he recalled dark eyes burning with hatred glaring down at him as he failed to pull in oxygen to his starving lungs. There had been no ounce of care in the rough grip that assailed him until he was choked into darkness.

Having been withdrawn into his mind whilst processing his last thoughts, he hadn’t been focussing on what was occurring around him, though the sudden sensation of cold, icy water being thrown over his body spurred him into alertness.

Gasping and spluttering in shock, he leapt into a crouch, quaking with adrenaline and surprise. Whipping his head up despite the ache that blossomed in his throat, he gazed up at his assailant who stood in the doorway, empty bucket in hand.

In the light that streamed in behind his form, Yugyeom could make out that he had been lying on the floor of some sort of cellar, without even a blanket to chase away the draught. The Alpha showed no care for his predicament, and his powerful legs propelled him over to Yugyeom’s form faster than he could react.

‘Get up, Omega!’

Accompanying the demand was a rough pull on his arm that had him stumbling to his feet, legs still shaky as his body tried to warm itself.

‘W-Where are w-we g-going? W-Who are y-you?’ Yugyeom chattered, the icy water having chilled his bones.

The Alpha spun around and fixed a sharp glare on his quaking form, his dark gaze filled with the same hatred as the one who had caught him yesterday.

‘You don’t get to ask questions. In fact, you don’t get to speak at all unless spoken to, Omega,’ he growled.

Yugyeom flinched back from the anger that poured from the Alpha’s tone, the force of the emotion zipping through the bond all Omegas had to their new packmates feeling like a stake to the heart.

‘Jackson, why are you taking so long?’ A loud voice shouted.

Yugyeom stumbled again as the so called ‘Jackson’ yanked him along at the fast walk out of the cellar, clearly trying to appease the owner of the other voice.  
Numbly, he took in the warm and inviting-looking home he was dragged through, with pictures of a pack smiling and laughing filling the halls. At the end of the hall stood a living room which was full of five other Alphas, all dressed in the black military robes of the Seoul Royal Military, their hair mussed and weapons discarded on the couches. Clearly they had returned from some sort of training or scuffle, as they looked tired and dusty where they draped themselves over the furniture and each other.

In the light, it was clear that Jackson also wore the same uniform, and a quick glance at the exhausted faces before him caused recognition to spark in his mind.  
These Alphas were the ones who always stood a few steps behind the Princes when the royals went on outings or spoke in public, and they had widely been recognised for their handsome faces and gentlemen-like manner.

Yugyeom had been bound to the heads of the Royal Military, the infamous Im pack.

Though every praise he had ever heard of them seemed fake when assaulted with the combined glare of all six.

‘So you’re awake then, Omega,’ the one he knew to be called Jinyoung, stated blandly.

Yugyeom felt a small twinge of frustration at the coldness of his new pack despite having done nothing yet to deserve it.

‘My name is not, Omega,’ he replied as steadily as he could.

The most agile of the group, Youngjae, moved before Yugyeom really registered it, and he suddenly found himself sprawled on the wooden floor, clutching his stinging cheek.

‘I thought Jackson already told you that you don’t speak unless spoken to’.

Yugyeom desperately bit back the, ‘but you did speak to me!’ that wanted to burst from his lips, insead fixing his Alphas with a watering gaze.

Alphas were programmed to love, protect and nurture their Omegas right? At least that’s what the tales of old always said.

‘Since we’re an important asset to this kingdom we need to be on the top of our game at all times, and that means we’ll be taking your strength before each guard duty. When we’re away you are expected to keep this place neat and orderly, and follow all instructions listed,’ a tall, lithe Alpha he recognised as Bam Bam stated coolly.

When Yugyeom didn’t rise from his sprawled position or really acknowledge the words he was trying so hard to process, the most intimidating Alpha of the group, Im Jaebum himself, who he recognised from the Omega Race, stalked forward and shoved him harshly into a kneeling position, the fist full of hair he held keeping Yugyeom’s face mashed into the floorboards.

‘You should always kneel in our presence unless directed otherwise. You’re worth nothing more than a stray dog around here, Omega, so you’ll be expected to grovel like one. I don’t know what you expected out of this arrangement, but if you were expecting a fairytale, then think again, you’ll find no love here’ he hissed.

And Yugyeom believed him fully.

The six bonds that only he could feel thrummed with nothing but negative emotions, and as that hand kept him vulnerable, he could feel the strength draining from his limbs and rushing into the head Alpha, his bond glowing brighter as he took the Omega’s energy.

When the bond was as bright as it could be, the grip in his hair let up and he tentatively peaked at Jaebum, only to want to recoil from the sheer danger that oozed off of the powered up Alpha.

He seemed to look taller, his muscles straining against his uniform, eyes almost glowing with inner fire. He formed an experimental fist, and grinned in satisfaction at whatever indication of new strength he found.

‘Well Omega,’ he huffed, ‘I guess you are good for something after all’. Now he turned his eyes to his eager looking packmates, and gestured to Yugyeom’s helpless, kneeling form invitingly.

‘Have at it boys, no one will be able to stop us in training today’.

Jungkook felt warm in the most delicious way, his body relaxed from the soft mattress in ways it had never achieved on his lumpy straw bed at home. The warmth of the achingly soft blankets tucked securely around him made him want to stay in the bed forever.

He felt exhausted, a strange fog smothering most of his thoughts and draining strength from his body in ways that should have been concerning had he had enough energy to worry.

The soft sound of a door opening barely pierced his awareness, though he did here the exchange that followed.

‘Oh goodness Joonie, he’s just as cute as I remember!’

‘Hush Tae,’ a fond but more authoritative voice shushed, ‘You're very loud’.

A warm, calloused hand cupped his face tenderly for a moment before gently withdrawing the blankets to his hips.

At the rush of cooler outside air that penetrated the warmth he had built up, Jungkook let out a soft whine of protest, a pout forming on his lips. 

A soft laugh made his inner Omega yip happily. ‘Oh, you’re just precious aren’t you, treasure?’

Gently he was propped up against someone’s warm chest, another whine leaving him as he was drawn further from dreamland where he longed to inhabit. Straining against the weight of his eyelids, he cracked open his eyes to take in a dove haired, dimpled Alpha who was leaning over him with the warmest smile he’d ever seen.

‘Sorry about waking you, treasure, but you need to drink this’.

Another tanned hand belonging to the Alpha he was leaning up against took the outstretched cup and brought it close to his lips. With his mouth suddenly realising it was in fact dry, he sipped from the offered cup, knowing he wouldn’t be able to hold it himself with how weak he was feeling.

A small furrow appeared in his brow as the ‘water’ tasted strangely medicinal.

‘I know it tastes strange, but it’ll help you deal with the effects of the tranquiliser darts. I know they must be making you feel pretty exhausted right now,’ the one who held him murmured, affection just seeping from his voice.

In his past youth Jungkook might have woke up angry and fighting, furious at being tied down to Alphas who would only ever see him as a battery or worse, a breeder. But with the sedatives still in his veins, and the startling truth that his Alphas were genuinely good, or at least good at pretending to be good, he found he was content to snuggle closer into the warm chest as his eyes began to close again.

‘Go back to sleep Jungkook, you’ll feel way better next time you wake!’

Well, that suggestion was easy enough to follow, Jungkook mused before darkness swallowed him up again and he fell into dreams.

Namjoon and Taehyung only realised they were holding their breath when Jungkook let out a soft sigh and slipped in to sleep once again. The Omega didn’t realise it, but their pack had been taking it in turns to cuddle with and feed the exhausted pup with regenerative tea. Every other time they’d entered the room he’d been far too deep in slumber to notice their ministrations and care.

Jimin would be so jealous that they were the first to see those enchanting dark eyes open once again.

It had been a hard few days for all of them, but especially for Jimin who naturally seemed to empathise more strongly than most. He had spent hours brushing the unconscious Omega’s silky hair and making him as comfortable as possible.

Only Hoseok had been close in the level of attentiveness he had showed, but that was motivated strongly by guilt.

He had dis-mounted his stallion with a forlorn face, the pale, limp form of their new packmate cradled protectively in his arms. Supposedly when he and Jaebum had been tracking the Omegas they had quickly realised that their desired packmates would be more of a struggle to capture than they had anticipated.

Unlike some Omegas, theirs were swift and agile, clearly used to physical exertion and prepared to give Alphas a good chase. Maybe they were attempting to get out of the forest entirely.

Hoseok had lined up the shot when they got close, aiming for the Omega glands on Jungkook’s neck, knowing that if he hit that vulnerable area the Omega would be caught without a struggle and less chance of injury. 

But just at that moment the intelligent Omega had leapt to the side, his trajectory causing the shot to bury itself in the thigh, slowing him down but not enough to allow for Hoseok to catch up.

So he’d been forced to make a second shot.

One dart carefully applied would make an Omega sleep for a few hours, just long enough to get them home and settled, but any more than that and they could be out for any length of time, and some had developed side-effects from the drug in the past.

The thought that he could have possibly caused irreparable damage to the adorable Omega they had waited for for so long had clearly upset Hoseok deeply, even though the rest of them had understood his situation.

But the fact that Jungkook had awoken briefly was sure to make their sunshine feel better.  
After all, they had waited far too long to complete themselves with their elusive dancer, and now he was theirs to cherish forever.


	4. Opinions Broken and Upheld

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jungkook finds his opinions about Alphas changing thanks to the sheer love he receives, whilst Yugyeom's despair continues to grow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the irregular updates, I am also writing another fic at the same time and sometimes I get carried away. Anyways, thanks for the support and kudos, you have no idea how appreciated they are.
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to @Ayoitsyagirl, who was ready to throw hands for me (even though it turns out we both read that one wrong) and to @olivia38, who right now is the president of the Yugyeom Protection Squad

This time when Jungkook awoke he truly felt awake.

Gone was the heavy weight on his limbs, and his mind was more alert than it had been previously. It seemed that the effect of the darts his Alphas had mentioned had finally abated.

His Alphas.

That was a difficult thought to process.

When Jungkook was a little boy, still unpresented, his pack had been engaged in a civil war of sorts. Two of the younger Alphas were both interested in the same Beta girl from their university, and instead of considering her feelings in the matter or coming to an agreement, they slaughtered one another whilst fighting over her, and unfortunately in the process mortally wounded her as well. 

He vividly remembered the parents of the Alphas blaming one another and beginning a long and bloody conflict that caused Jungkook’s branch of the pack to split off and begin their own smaller pack unit.

Though it hurt to break some of the bonds, it was a good decision to move away.

But the memory was stuck with him, the scenes of tension and anger, the blood and fights. His mother had sat him down before the day in which he was supposed to present and had taken his hands in her own calloused ones.

‘Jungkook, I don’t mind what secondary gender you turn out to be, but if you happen to be an Omega, then please son, do your best to avoid being bonded to an Alpha during the Race, and if you do get caught, stay out of your pack’s way as much as possible’.

‘Why mummy?’ He had asked, his doe eyes sparkling in the sunset.

‘Because being bonded to an Alpha always causes pain in the end. They believe that Omegas are lesser creatures just because they were born with beautiful abilities, they abuse, use and throw away what they can’t stand’.

Jungkook had always trusted his mother, but in this case, maybe her advice was wrong?

He had feared Alphas, always believing that the moment they caught him they’d chain him up somewhere and take turns borrowing his strength, uncaring of his feelings in the matter.

But his pack had cared for him, had looked at him with tenderness and had acted like they might truly love him. If he was good, maybe he could even convince them to let him follow his desire of taking the stage as a professional dancer for the royal family along with Yugyeom.

He was interrupted in his musings by the sound of the door opening and two faces peeking through at him, wide smiles showing perfect teeth to the world.

‘You’re awake!’ The shortest Alpha with blonde hair cried out happily.

In the light streaming through his windows the Alpha appeared like an angel. Finding the words dying on his tongue under the close scrutiny of his new packmates, Jungkook nodded jerkily, an embarrassed flush embracing his cheeks.

Instead of ignoring his cute and embarrassed gesture, the other Alpha who he vaguely remembered to be called ‘Tae’ smiled wider and skipped over to the bedside.

‘Cute! My Jungkookie is so cute!’ he sang as he did so.

Jungkook was certain that his cheeks were flaming now, especially as he recalled that the Alpha’s toned chest had recently been his pillow.

‘I-I do you know if there’s somewhere I can get something to eat?’ he asked timidly, desperate to divert the conversation.

Immediately both Alphas were propelling him gently from the bed and ushering him down long stone hallways.

‘Oh we’re such bad Alphas, not knowing our baby was hungry!’ Jimin growled over-exaggeratedly.

‘It’s fine,’ Jungkook tried to reassure, gazing around in wonder at the oil paintings they passed on their journey. His pack must be rich to live in such grand conditions, maybe they were lesser lords or from old money? They were handsome enough to be famous, but Jungkook had never gotten out to many events, instead hearing about them on their family’s radio. The Festival of the Maidens was the only real event he attended each year, and he had never seen them there.

As they entered a huge dining room with a soaring roof and a long wooden table with fresh flowers and gilded settings, he couldn’t stop himself from blurting out, ‘are you rich?’

His Alphas paused for a moment with incredulous expressions before laughing loudly, amusement pulsing along the bond.

‘Of course we are,’ Taehyung answered, as though Jungkook was being silly.

Jungkook thought it was slightly unfair since it wasn’t like he could automatically know their situation, but he didn’t have much time to dwell on it as his attention was taken by the four Alphas already seated at the table, piling high their plates with delicious food.

‘Hey guys, guess who’s awake to join us!’

Jungkook felt the blood rush to his cheeks as the dark eyes of his packmates all focussed in on him like a laser.

‘Umm...hi,’ he greeted uncertainly, hoping they wouldn’t be mad that he couldn’t manage much more.

He needn’t have worried since at the first syllable of his embarrassed greeting all six of his Alphas were wearing ridiculous love-struck grins.

‘Awww cute! Come over here darling and we’ll all introduce ourselves properly,’ the head Alpha commented, his perfect face practically beaming.

Jungkook didn’t need to guess that he was the head Alpha since the pure strength that flowed along the bond from the man was enough, and yet despite his clear dominance it was clear the others adored him.

Doing as he was told, Jungkook soon found himself listening dazedly as his Alphas started talking in a loud and confused babble of noise and exaggerated movement, all the while touching him subtly and adding more food to his plate. It didn’t seem like they even did it consciously, but that it was ingrained in them to protect their new Omega.

Maybe his belief that all Alpha were raging balls of testosterone and evil was wrong? 

‘Jungkook was right, all Alphas are cruel,’ Yugyeom whispered into the darkness of the freezing cellar, partially to finally be allowed to state his opinion, and also to be able to hear a voice that wasn’t yelling at him.

The last two days had been a wake up call.

When he was seven and he came home with a black eye, courtesy of a boy whose father had supposedly been ruined by Yugyeom’s absentee one, his mother had fawned over him guiltily. 

‘I’m sorry,’ she had said, her once beautiful black curls wild around her sobbing face, ‘it’s not your fault, Yuggie’.

Yugyeom had taken her calloused hand in his own small one and had looked up at her with an innate hope born from bedtime stories and made-up fairytales.

‘I know, mumma. And it’s okay, because one day I might be an Omega and then a big and strong Alpha will come and scare those bullies away from us both. Just you wait and see’.

Over the years he had learnt that sometimes Alphas could be cruel, and being an Omega was not quite as romantic as he used to think, but a small flare of hope had remained flickering like the immortal Olympic flame.

The hope that maybe, just maybe, Kim Yugyeom could be the damsel from a fairytale.

Well, if his new life was a fairytale then it was Cinderella, just without the ball or handsome prince, and with much more cleaning.

‘GET UP OMEGA!’ Came a loud cry from Bam Bam, accompanied by his strong fist banging against the door.

Yugyeom shakily pulled himself to his feet, muscles aching from his duties the day before and the strength drain that had followed. It was getting harder to get up in the morning.

He knew what would await him when he exited his cellar, Jaebum had wasted no time in giving him the house-keeping duties of the mansion and reassigning all the other servants to the barracks instead.

No one was to help him in cooking and cleaning for his pack.  
No one was to help him at all.

Timidly, his head down and eyes riveted on the uneven floorboards, he moved past Bam Bam and scurried to the kitchen where he set about boiling pots of water and chopping ingredients for a broth.

Thankfully none of the Alphas would bother him in here.

Jaebum barely even looked at him, let alone would bother to come in and beat him for being too slow. Jinyoung and Youngjae were full of cutting remarks and shoves, but they would never sully their hands by entering the kitchens. Bam Bam was probably cuddling up to one of the older packmates, pout in full force as they spoiled him as their maknae, fully aware that Yugyeom was younger. And Mark...well, Mark was difficult to figure out at the best of times since he never really said much or participated in things they did to him, he just watched with his calculating gaze and occasionally borrowed his strength when the others did.

When the soup was cooked and the rice perfectly fluffy, Yugyeom balanced the bowls on several trays and walked into the dining room to serve, which was difficult since he wasn’t supposed to look at them.

Once served, he had to stand against the wall, eyes on the floor as they ate, and if he was lucky they would give him permission to eat the scraps in the kitchen. The first morning he had been exhausted from the combined strength drain of all six of his packmates, and had eaten whilst cooking, thinking they wouldn’t notice.

The resultant denial of food, rest and ache in his behind from being belted with Jaebum’s riding crop (and not in a kinky way either) had deterred him from sneaking food when not given express permission.

They ate with gusto as soldier’s tended to do, always willing to fill themselves up before their official duties in the palace began, and between mouthfuls they chatted away amongst themselves. Before he hadn’t paid much attention, but a familiar name made him listen in.

‘The princes’ Omega is settling in well I hear,’ Youngjae commented, ‘what was his name again, Jungkook?’

Yugyeom felt his heart freeze in his chest. That was who had captured his best friend? The rulers of Seoul? A worse thought entered his mind. If the princes were his pack’s friends and employers, then surely they would be of similar opinion to his pack about the place of Omegas. He recalled the kindness he had seen in Jungkook’s captor’s eyes, and considered that the princes might be better actors than he had thought.

‘Yeah, they absolutely adore him. He’s only been awake a day but I hear they’ve been pampering the heck out of him. Bubble baths, walks in the gardens, romantic rides, the whole lot!’ Jinyoung stated warmly.

Yugyeom could scarcely believe his ears, Jinyoung was talking positively about an Omega?

‘Omegas are just the sweetest. Maybe some day we’ll have one of our own to cherish instead of this stupid creature,’ Jackson muttered.

Yugyeom couldn’t stop the shocked tear that slid down his cheek.

He had thought it was Omegas themselves his Alphas despised, but now he could see that it wasn’t a fault in his secondary gender as a whole that they had found, it was a fault within himself.

They hated him. For no reason, or at least for no reason he could think of. They hated him with a hatred so strong that they were blind to his pain and suffering.  
And they were determined to hate him for the rest of his life with them.

‘Omega! No more tears, they’re pathetic’.

As if like magic, Yugyeom’s tears really did dry up in response to the call. Or maybe it was just that he had none left to cry.


	5. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jungkook enjoys his new life for a while until bad news ruins the mood, whilst Yugyeom might have just discovered a sliver of hope in his existence.

If Jungkook was asked to describe his new life, he would have to say that it felt like a carousel whirling him around and out of control.

Nothing was as he had expected. 

Instead of a dank dungeon with iron chains he was given an elaborate suite of rooms filled with a beautiful tub, silken curtains that danced in the breeze and every type and colour of clothing he could ever want. There was ample enough space for him to stretch and practice some of his dance routines if he wished. 

When he thought he was going to be drained constantly of strength by his Alphas and made to grovel, he was treated like the rarest jewel in the land. Each Alpha devoted as much time as he could to showing him around, teaching him about his castle home, telling him about what life was like as Princes (because that particular revelation had come out at breakfast yesterday and Jungkook had almost choked on a grape), and pampering him with little treats and touches.

And better yet, they hadn’t taken a single ounce of his strength.

If they were Princes, then they treated him like their king.

And despite going into the Omega Race with a hardened heart and the intention of never allowing himself to think of his packmates with anything but hatred, Jungkook found himself growing fonder for his Alphas with every passing day.

He loved Hoseok’s energy and how he lit up every room, the way he was quick to offer cuddles and a lap to curl up in. He loved Yoongi’s quiet but affectionate nature, and how a compliment from him felt so much more special because you knew you had earned it. He couldn’t get enough of Namjoon’s dimples, his dorky laugh and attempts at being cute, and the sheer intelligence that emanated from his lanky, clumsy body. Jimin and Taehyung as always were a packaged pair, and had become his best friends.

And then there was Seokjin, who laughed like a bad windscreen wiper, and acted like a mum for everyone, and yet had this presence that was just so powerful that sometimes you could get lost in it.

Today Hoseok and Taehyung had taught him how to ride a horse, which he took to as easily as a duck to water with his natural skill for learning. Then they met the rest of the pack for a picnic, which was a treat since usually they were busy at different times but had managed to all gather in the gardens.

Now he was tucking a strand of his dark hair behind his ear as he stepped into the dining room, which of course was already full. With how well everything had been going he had decided to experiment with his clothing tonight and had worn a short crimson dress atop his black tights and boots.

He had always admired the Omegas who wore skirts and dresses, but had never had the funds to explore getting his own. Now with his new pack he could probably buy every dress in the kingdom if he wished.

Self-consciousness flooded through him as the chatter in the room stopped, and like the first morning he had awoken, the eyes of everyone were riveted on his form. For a long minute nobody moved or spoke, they just raked Jungkook with their eyes until he shifted slightly in embarrassment, the move snapping them into awareness again.

Almost languidly, Yoongi crooked a finger and smirked, ‘come sit by me, doll’.

Delicately, Jungkook moved to sit beside him, but not without hearing the appreciative whistle that Jimin let out as he passed them.

‘Damn Kookie, you look just as mesmerising as the first time we saw you’.

‘T-Thanks,’ Jungkook squeaked, before stuffing his mouth with food to prevent him having to say more.

Seokjin soon began to address the table, clearly out of pity for Jungkook’s shy heart.

‘Well, now is as good a time as ever to discuss a letter that came across my desk today. It seems that King Corin from the Western kingdom is coming for a visit’.

Jungkook’s inner Omega perked up in interest, and his curiosity was only heightened when the other Alphas were immediately breaking out into angry muttering and a few quiet swears.

Taehyung’s expression was pulled into a perfect pout as he gazed imploringly at Seokjin.

‘Are you sure we can’t get out of it? You know how awful King Corin can be’.

Seokjin looked uncomfortable at the pleading, which Jungkook could totally understand, because who wouldn’t want to abandon everything and give Taehyung all he desired? 

‘I’m sorry darling,’ the pack Alpha murmured, placing a supportive hand on the younger’s thigh.

After a moment of heavy silence, Jungkook knew it was time to ask.

‘Why is King Corin so bad? I’ve never heard of him’.

Namjoon sighed and put down his salad fork, a deep seriousness settling into his friendly face.

‘Most people in the kingdom don’t know King Corin because he doesn’t make his visits publicly like other rulers. He merely interacts with royals and the nobility. You must know by now that we, and others in the palace don’t like the traditional usage of Omegas and instead treat them like regular people, but the western kingdom is extremely traditionalist. They convinced the previous king of the uses of Omega strength, and made sure that the Alphas and Betas that run the Omega Race are western affiliated. In many ways they are to blame for the current state of affairs in regards to secondary genders,’ he explained.

Jungkook felt anger bubble beneath his skin at the reminder that despite his luck, others were living a much harsher reality in their new packs.

‘Why can’t you go against him?’

Now everyone’s faces were downcast, and Yoongi let out a soft growl of frustration. ‘We’re trying Kookie, but it’s not that simple. Alphas like King Corin and the westerners are addicted to taking Omega Strength. They use it like a drug, always seeking the strongest Omegas to satisfy them. A lot of powerful people got their positions by selling Omegas illegally, so that now if we went against their figurehead, King Corin, without enough power of our own, we would get nowhere’.

‘But it’s not all bad, treasure,’ Hoseok chimed in, giving Jungkook a slightly forced, but sunny smile. ‘We’re getting power of our own, and soon we’ll be strong enough to make a change. But for now, we just have to play nice with King Corin, and give him absolutely no excuse to suspect us’.

Jungkook wasn’t satisfied. He wouldn’t be until Omega rights had been established. But at least for now he would ‘play nice’, and bide his time, and hope their efforts would be enough.

It was midnight by the time Yugyeom’s chores were finished.

With raw and blistered hands from rough work and scrubbing dinner pots he opened the kitchen door, determined to trudge to his cellar and sleep. It wouldn’t be enough of course, since the past weeks had caused a cavernous exhaustion to fill his bones.

‘Omega!’

Yugyeom felt like weeping bitterly at the familiar impersonal call. It wasn’t enough that he was degraded and humiliated at every turn, and treated worse than a slave, that his feet bled and his ribs were visible beneath his baggy clothes, they just had to give him yet another job when he was finally finished.

Bowing his head automatically, he spied the golden ends of the shoelaces before him and knew it was Bam Bam who had called him.

‘Youngjae mentioned he wanted blueberry croissants for breakfast, go and gather the berries and have them ready by dawn’.

He didn’t bother saying anything else, but turned around and stalked away to his packmates, leaving Yugyeom standing numbly in the hallway.

With the time it would take to gather the berries and the hours the croissants would need to proof, he would get maybe an hour or two of sleep at best. What was the point anymore?

Shivering with cold, he wandered out into the back gardens with a basket in hand, his dark hair fluttering with the breeze. As downtrodden and depressed as he was, he had to admit that the Alphas’ gardens were beautiful. In the moonlight the sprawling flowers appeared silver and delicate, standing strong despite the wind the elements around them.

In comparison Yugyeom felt like a weed, unwanted and useless, just a detraction of the beauty of the place.

The blueberry bushes that lined their stone fence were bursting with berries, and he delicately plucked them, a dull hunger panging in his belly. When he was a child his mother had grown blueberries for their bakery, and Yugyeom had sat on the wooden counter, covered in flour and sticky honey whilst his effortlessly graceful mother worked pastry for her famous blueberry pies. He would sneak handfuls at a time, hoping she wouldn’t notice, only to giggle and laugh with glee as she spotted his purple stained fingers and chased him around the kitchen with a dish-towel.

The thought of the warm atmosphere, her familiar laughter and the feeling of being loved and whole was almost too heartbreaking to dwell on, so resolutely he quickened his pace of picking.

Due to his contract he wouldn’t see his mother unless his Alphas gave permission, and there was no way they would do that. He would merely have to live off of their memories and the one tearful goodbye they’d been allowed all those weeks ago.

He was so engrossed in his task and his thoughts that movement out of the corner of his eyes startled him badly, and he flinched back with a cry of surprise.

Over the garden wall and black-clad figure had leapt, and had tumbled into a neat crouch scarcely three metres away from him. A scent of orange blossoms and other more muted scents filtered over on the breeze, and Yugyeom gasped at the scent, for it evidently labelled the stranger as a taken Omega.

At the noise he made, the dark figure flinched and for a moment the two of them just stared at one another until it registered in Yugyeom’s mind that this person could be a murderer or a psycho for all he knew.

‘Who are you?’ Yugyeom hissed.

The figure scampered closer and the moonlight illuminated young and handsome features, with cat-like eyes, pale skin and a broad nose. Those eyes twinkled with deep-seated mischief, and his expression was open and honest as he gazed imploringly at Yugyeom.

‘I’m sorry,’ he replied almost sheepishly. ‘I’m Moonbin, I’m from the pack next door,’ he introduced.

Yugyeom couldn’t deny the curiosity that bloomed within at the sight of a fellow Omega, who clearly was well-cared for. Though his experience with his pack had taught him that looks could be deceiving. Maybe he was running from abuse?

‘Why did you come over my back fence?’ Yugyeom asked, his posture relaxing from its tense position.

Moonbin grinned at the question, his face lighting up with pure cheekiness, and he looked rather like an excitable puppy despite the feline nature of his appearance.

‘Well, you see, I’m sneaking out of the house to go and see the Reflection Pond, and I don’t want my hyungs to see me!’ he replied.

Yugyeom’s heart immediately went out to him, he knew all too well what a pack could do when upset at your actions.

‘What will your pack do to you if they catch you?’

Now Moonbin’s smirk turned positively wicked, ‘Well they’ll get mad of course, but after a short lecture they’ll let me off the hook. They love me too much to stay mad, and besides, make-up sex is the best!’

Yugyeom didn’t really know what to say to that.

‘I’m Yugyeom, the Im Pack’s Omega,’ he introduced instead, hoping his awkwardness wouldn’t shine through, ‘and if you want to get out unseen the adjacent wall leads into the forest. You could hide from anyone in there’.

Moonbin bounced over and gave him a swift but strong hug, happiness radiating off of his whole form.

‘Thanks, you’re the best Gyeommie!’

And with that he scampered off into the night, a bright laugh echoing in his wake, that only became louder when confused and angry shouts started up in the distance from where Yugyeom assumed the other’s pack house lay.

It seemed Moonbin really would be getting ‘make-up sex’ tonight after all.

For the first time since Jaebum had claimed him at the Omega Race, Yugyeom returned to the house with a basket full of berries and a small smile on his face despite the work that lay ahead. Because a tiny light had filtered into his existence.

Kim Yugyeom had made a friend.


	6. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter you've all been waiting for. It's time for an Im pack vs. Yugyeom showdown

The next morning Yugyeom is picking herbs in preparation for lunch when he scents that Orange Blossom smell again. Though this time it is accompanied by other strong scents such as vanilla, coffee and salted caramel.

‘Gyeommie!’ a bright voice calls from over the fence.

A smile blooms across Yugyeom’s lips and he is eagerly skipping over to the fence to watch Moobin jog the last few metres to greet him.

His fellow Omega looks as though he is glowing, though the careful attention to how he is moving allows Yugyeom to know that he did indeed have great ‘make-up sex’ last night as anticipated.

‘Hi Binnie,’ Yugyeom greets, hoping he doesn’t sound as embarrassingly eager as he feels.

Moonbin is opening his mouth as though to start spilling about his night-time adventures when he suddenly pauses, brows furrowing anxiously.  
His cat-like eyes are focussed in on Yugyeom’s throat, and he knows that his new friend is gazing at the almost faded bruises that ringed his neck since the day Jaebum had choked him.

‘W-What happened?’ Moobin manages to ask.

Yugyeom knows he should tell Moobin exactly what his Alpha had done, but what point would there be in that? Either Moonbin will tell his hyungs and they’ll come and cause chaos within his pack and bring the rage of his Alphas, or worse, maybe he’ll just think Yugyeom is pathetic because it’s an Omega’s duty to fulfil the wishes of his Alphas and he can’t take it?

‘Oh I just got into a fight before the Omega Race, it doesn’t even hurt anymore,’ he reassures flippantly.

Of course it doesn’t hurt anymore, any physical pain has been far overshadowed by exhaustion and mental pain.

Moonbin looks relieved to know that the pain is minimal, though he still looks a bit suspicious, and Yugyeom didn’t know what to say if the questions kept coming, so quickly he forced another bright smile on to his haggard face and asked, ‘so how was your trip last night?’

That got Moonbin talking, and from there, their conversation flowed freely.

After regular run-ins, they decided to meet every day in the morning or at night, and soon they were fast friends, their scents intermingling as though they’d always know each other. Yugyeom shared with Moonbin his childhood with Jungkook, and how the three of them would have been fast friends.

In return, Moonbin told him about his own pack.

‘Well, I was kind of nervous when it came to the Omega Race because I’m a bit too tall and strong for most Alphas to appreciate, and I thought any Alpha who would choose me for his pack would be one of the worse ones there,’ Moonbin had admitted, prompting Yugyeom to pull him into a comfortable hug, well aware of what that feeling was like.

‘I was running well and the forest was so pretty that I wasn’t paying attention when my Alpha, JinJin, got close to me. Unfortunately his weapon choice was a slingshot and I wound up with a concussion from a rock to the head. But when I woke up they were so good to me and so apologetic., and ever since I’ve loved them all’.

The way he talked about his packmates, JinJin, MJ, Eunwoo, Rocky and Sanha, it was clear he really did love them. A shame that Yugyeom could not share his own story without exposing everything he tried so hard to bury.

One moonlit night Moonbin had told him that a foreign King was coming, ‘Oh but that’s not the best part,’ he had gushed, ‘I met your friend Jungkook! Apparently my Alphas have been holding out on me and they’re friends with the royals who became Jungkook’s pack. He’s everything you said, Gyeommie, and he wants to be friends! I told him you were just fine when he asked’.

Yugyeom vaguely registered having thanked his friend, but that night he had lain awake on the cold, dusty floor, thinking back to the conversation. To see Jungkook again would be a dream come true, and he couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy for Moonbin who was able to move around with such freedom. He knew there was nothing that he or Moonbin could do about his pack’s treatment of him, but maybe Jungkook could ask the prince’s if they could help him. Maybe one day they would allow Omegas to be free to choose their own partners and Yugyeom could waltz away without a second glance.

It felt good to dream.

It was four weeks after he had begun speaking to Moonbin when his oblivious Alphas finally noticed that he had a friend. It wasn’t surprising that they hadn’t previously noticed, especially since the only times they saw him were at meal times, when they drained his strength after training and when they wanted him to do something, and at those times they barely acknowledged his presence.

They didn’t spend time scenting each other, so why would they notice the wisps of Moonbin’s scent that clung to his clothing where they had hugged?  
But tonight was different.

Tonight he had been introduced to Moonbin’s Alphas, who had finally been curious as to who this ‘Gyeommie’ was. And whilst at first he had been nervous, he soon found them to be exactly as Moobin described.

MJ was immediately pulling him into an enthusiastic hug with Sanha, talking about how lucky his ‘Binnie’ was to have such a friendly new hyung. JinJin and Rocky had been quick to rescue him from death by hug, but they were equally as welcoming. And then there was Eunwoo, who seemed to have his own gravity that made Yugyeom feel secure and appreciated even though they barely knew each other.

It was good to feel accepted for once.

The only point of contention was their questions about how he was settling in with his new pack, since they had apparently known the Ims for a long time. In fact they had only glowing remarks about his Alphas.

Yugyeom had fumbled through some semblance of a response and had tactfully steered away the conversation to happier territory.

But far too soon the sun had set and he had been forced to say his goodbyes, only to be surprised by the warmest, friendliest group hug he’d received in a long time.  
It turns out that hug had been his undoing.

It was around ten o’clock when his Alphas had recently been fed and were changed and showered when they usually took his strength, and tonight was no different. Kneeling on the hard floor, his gaze directed to the nearby beige mat, he expected to be set upon in turns or at once and to feel the familiar pull of energy borrowing. So when there was hesitation he was surprised enough to risk a glance at his pack.

Standing around the room, his Alphas seemed to be sniffing the air, their confusion causing them to tense up and rivet their gazes on him accusingly. Yugyeom couldn’t fathom what they had smelt since he had bathed recently and didn’t smell bad at all, until he too caught a whiff of the scents clinging to his clothes from the group hug with Moonbin’s pack.

He had a second to think, ‘oh no,’ before rough hands were pulling him up to eye level with Jinyoung’s handsome face, and the Alpha was leaning in with a rough snarl.

‘Omega! Who have you been interacting with?’

Yugyeom let out an involuntary whimper which only seemed to make them angrier, and caused Jinyoung to give him a rough shake.

‘They’re just friends of mine, I didn’t do anything unfaithful, I promise!’ Yugyeom cried.

Even though he’d been given permission to speak by being directed a question, he still received a ringing slap from Jinyoung, who let go at the same time, causing Yugyeom to fall painfully to the floor boards.

‘Who specifically are these friends?’ Youngjae inquired icily, stepping up to flank Jinyoung.

‘Just the pack next door, we met while I was gardening and they wanted to know their new neighbour’.

Even though his answer was innocent you would think he had admitted to group sex with a stranger when considering his Alpha’s reactions.

‘WHAT?’ Jaebum positively roared.

‘Oh I see, you’ve been tattling to JinJin’s pack, telling them about how sad your life is so they can rescue you,’ BamBam accused, his fists shaking at his sides.  
Yugyeom’s skin paled when he realised that his Alphas really truly were enraged.

‘I haven’t, I promise! Just ask them, they know nothing!’

‘Liar!’ Mark hissed, advancing on him to deliver a sharp kick to his ribs which punched the air from his lungs.

Jackson didn’t give him any time to recover as he grasped Yugyeom’s chin, forcing him to meet blazing red Alpha eyes.

‘You will never interact with them again. You will never speak to anyone but us again, and only when given permission. You don’t need friends, and we’ll make sure you have none once we tell our neighbours that you’ve been playing them for fools’.

The thought that they would lie to his only friends and make them hate him, that they would drive away the only light in his dismal life after already taking Jungkook from him stoked a fire within him that Yugyeom scarcely believed still existed, and before he really was cognisant of what he was doing he was sending a fist right into Jackson’s nose and leaping to his feet, for once revelling in his muscles and height.

Tears streaming from his blazing eyes, he looked squarely at his shocked Alphas before screaming, ‘What do you want from me?’, letting all his pain bleed into his tone.

‘I was just a young Omega and you’ve taken everything from me, my family, my belief in love, my confidence and my strength, and now the first time something good happens to me, you want to take that away too! What did I ever do to you?’

That last part seemed to snap Jaebum into action because he was now squaring up to Yugyeom, his teeth half shifted into his Alpha fangs.

‘You know exactly what you did!’

Feeling more strength than ever, Yugyeom stepped right into his Alpha’s space, ‘No. I. Don’t!’

Bam Bam laughed disbelievingly, crossing his arms over his lean chest.

‘Are you serious? How do you just forget that your father slaughtered our entire pack when we were just defenseless pups and murdered Jaebum’s father in front of our eyes. They burned to death while we just had to listen to their screams! Your father may not be around for us to destroy, but thankfully you are! He must have taught you everything he knows, and despite your innocent face, we know you’re rotten at the core’.

A strange sense of relief bloomed in Yugyeom’s heart that he now knew their motivations, but it was tempered by grief and exhaustion. Grief for the family that once resided on this land, and for the children blackened by hatred, trauma and revenge. And above all, and exhaustion so deep it settled into his bones and dragged the fight right out of him.

‘I have never met my father, he abandoned us long before I was even born. Mum never spoke about him other than to inform me that he was dead at last some years ago, ask Jungkook, he knows everything. I don’t know what you’re trying to achieve by destroying me, but whatever it is, it won’t make the past go away’.

‘You, you have to know your father,’ Mark stammered, horror dawning on his grief stricken face.

His tone was that of a man that had certainty ripped away, only to find that what he had believed for so long was false.

Yugyeom sighed and stared glumly at his packmates. 

‘Sorry to disappoint’.

And with that he stumbled wearily to his cellar, and no one dared stop him on his way.


	7. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seokjin has a problem on his hands and two friends reunite.

Jungkook was lying sprawled in a patch of sunshine when Seokjin shared the news that would change the course of his life.  
Taehyung and Jimin were curled around him in a puppy-pile of the youngest members, and though they weren’t quite asleep, they were content to just lay together and breathe in their combined scents. 

Across the room, Namjoon, Yoongi and Hoseok were filling out correspondences and signing papers, because despite the fact that they were trying to devote time to their Omega, they did actually have to do some work. And their jobs had only become harder since King Corin was supposed to be arriving that night, and everything had to be perfect.

Jungkook had noticed how tense his hyungs all were about the upcoming event, and had managed to coax at least Taehyung and Jimin into relaxing for an hour or so.  
But all three of them were soon shooting up in surprise as Seokjin violently flung open the door and entered the room in a rush. The pack Alpha was always the epitome of grace when outside their rooms, so to see his perfect brown hair dishevelled, and his tunic looking like it had seen better days, was highly unusual.

‘We have a problem,’ He stated bluntly, without even a greeting.

Taehyung gazed up worriedly at the Alpha, his big eyes filled with apprehension, ‘What is it hyung?’

Seokjin sighed and dropped a crumpled piece of paper on the nearest table. ‘I just received word that our dancers and entertainment for the evening have all been hospitalised after their pack-run in the woods last night. Supposedly things got out of hand when their Omega tried to tease them into chasing him and the Alphas ended up fighting one another!’

Hoseok smacked his head on the table loudly, a long groan of pain exiting his lips a moment later, whilst Yoongi and Namjoon looked like the world had just ended.

‘Are you sure they can’t dance?’ Jimin asked hopefully.

Seokjin just stared at him with an unimpressed expression. ‘Three of their Alphas have broken limbs and their Omega had to have stitches. The others aren’t even conscious! I can’t expect them to still attempt to dance!’

Yoongi growled in frustration, his voice deep and scratchy when he stated, ‘We’re on bad terms with King Corin already, we can’t let him leave unsatisfied!’

A clamor started up as each packmate spoke aloud, all trying to give opinions about what they should do. In the midst of the turmoil Jungkook stood gracefully and moved until he was in the centre of the room, letting his calming scent out to soothe the tensions in the room.

‘There’s a very simple solution, hyungs,’ Jungkook murmured once silence had been achieved. ‘Yugyeom and I can both dance and sing for entertainment. You said you saw my festival dance, so you know we’re good’.

His Alphas looked stunned for a few moments until Jimin slapped himself on the forehead.

‘We’re so dumb. How come we didn’t think of that before?’

Jungkook giggled, the musical sound causing his packmates to practically melt with fuzzy feelings, ‘Well then, give me directions to Yugyeom’s house and we can get to practicing!’.

Yugyeom’s pack house was beautiful.

Set on the edge of castle grounds, it should have looked out of place. But with the flowering vines curling around the door frame, and the well-worn stone path, it looked lived-in and homey. The gardens surrounding it were well-kept but also looked more natural than the sharp edged hedges of the palace. 

Yugyeom must be the luckiest Omega around.

While the castle was cool it was almost impossible to get privacy with so many servants around, and the halls felt lifeless sometimes due to their grand stature, as if only kings should have the right to tread there.

This large, but warm-looking home was a much better option, especially as it was filled with one of the nicest packs Jungkook had ever met.

Considering the Ims were the head-guardsmen, they interacted with his Alphas a lot, and had swiftly been introduced to Jungkook. He could remember their first meeting, when with the black uniforms, visible weaponry and strong muscles they had seemed rather formidable, and yet the moment they actually spoke it was clear that they were much warmer in person. 

BamBam and Jackson were hilarious, and so friendly that it made Jungkook feel right at home. Youngjae and Mark might have been quieter than their counterparts, but they treated him with respect and kindness that was foreign to some Alphas. And of course there were Jinyoung and Jaebum, who were clearly the leaders and filled the roles with an ease that spoke of a lifetime spent looking after their wild packmates.

There was no time to ask about Yugyeom since they had been on official business, but judging by their friendly nature towards Omegas it was clear that Yugyeom must be having a positive experience to rival Jungkook’s own.

So knocking on the wooden door, his long navy robes swishing gently with the breeze, he didn’t expect what his best friend would appear like when he opened it.

Yugyeom was dressed in an old and tattered pair of trousers and a shirt, which immediately sent alarm bells ringing in Jungkook’s mind because his friend hated trousers! Yugyeom loved colours as bright as his laugh and personality, so to see him in drab grey and brown was highly unusual.

His bare feet were covered in small cuts, and his arms where the shirt sleeves ended were covered in bruises and small marks also. Those bruises were layered on top of one another from old to new, and some even looked like handprints.

But it was the look of his face despite the obvious surprised expression of having seen his best friend again that really got to Jungkook. Because only a small sliver of Yugyeom’s natural joy and charisma still remained in those dark, exhausted eyes.

‘Yuggy, what happened?’ Jungkook gasped, moisture building in his eyes.

Yugyeom let out a soft, uncomfortable noise before opening the door wider for Jungkook to come in.

They were in the living room before Yugyeom managed to state shakily, ‘I just fell, you know how clumsy I am’.

Sure his best friend’s lanky body and height meant he was prone to clumsy accidents, but he wasn’t capable of doing that to himself!

‘That’s a total lie Yugyeom, and you know it!’ He cried out indignantly.

A strong wave of Alpha pheromones washed over Jungkook’s senses as a shadow fell across the room. 

‘You’re right Jungkook, it was a lie. I hit him, we all did,’ a familiar voice stated.

Jungkook whirled to spot Jaebum and his packmates standing awkwardly in the hall, their eyes shadowed by poor sleep and guilt practically pouring off of them.  
A fire that had slowly been building since Yugyeom first opened the door sprang forth with a vengeance, and Jungkook marched forward and slammed a first straight into Jaebum’s jaw.

The Alpha did nothing to defend himself as Jungkook glared up at him furiously, eyes glimmering with Omega purple as his protective instincts emerged.

‘How dare you abuse my friend? How dare you act all nice towards Omegas and then secretly hurt your own! Why would you do such a thing?’ He snapped.

‘His father killed our pack when we were young, and that desire for revenge made us blind to everything else in life. We didn’t even consider that he could be different. We were fools,’ Jinyoung replied.

Jungkook snarled, the noise rattling in his chest.

‘I’m glad you admit your foolishness, because you six were so stupid that I don’t even know where to begin! You’ve taken a bright and beautiful young Omega and have shredded his confidence and his soul for petty revenge!’

A soft touch on his arm pulled him away from glaring at the Alphas he once thought to be good. Yugyeom, who had been silent through the interrogation, looked at Jungkook with an expression of pure exhaustion for the situation.

‘I appreciate your defence Kookie, but I’ve already said my piece. I’m tied to the Im Pack for life, and I’ve already told them that I need space. There’ll be no more beatings’.

Jungkook wanted to continue his tirade, he wanted to beat them black and blue for every mark they ever lay on his friend, but Yugyeom didn’t need a bodyguard. He needed a friend.

‘Okay Yuggy, come with me and I’ll tell you about why I came. I think you’ll like it’.

Yugyeom followed him without a word, not even glancing at his Alphas, and not a single one of them made any move to stop the two Omegas.

The fresh air and sunshine seemed to coax more life out of Yugyeom throughout the walk back, and Jungkook purposefully kept them at a slow pace out of deference for Yugyeom’s overall condition.

‘You know what, Kookie,’ Yugyeom murmured tiredly, ‘They’ve still never called me by name’.

Jungkook pressed close to his side and offered support as best he could, but his fire was still burning all the same. The Im pack better stay far away from him tonight, or blood would stain Seokjin’s perfect floors.


	8. A Song for a King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jungkook and Yugyeom take their pack's breath away, but unfortunately they also charm someone else with far darker intentions.

Jungkook was always amazed by the Grand Reception Hall.

It’s sheer size was enough to overwhelm anyone, but so far he hadn’t seen it decorated for official events, and now that it was decked out for the official Reception Dinner it was an entirely different space.

A circular stage stood in the middle of the room, having been placed where the dance floor had once resided for the purposes of tonight’s activities. Around it were several tables for minor nobility and their partners, whilst a long rectangular table presided on a raised dais where his pack and King Corin would be sitting.  
Their table gave them the best view of any performer in the room.

Fairy lights lit the room in a soft but warm glow, whilst a larger light illuminated their dance space. It was, in short, exactly the type of scene they had always imagined dancing in.

Jungkook and Yugyeom had always danced together, and some even said that they had music engraved in their souls, driving them to dream of being performers. They had climbed high in the trees and had looked upon the distant castle, vowing to one another that one day they would perform for everyone in the land, even the king himself.

And now it seemed their dream would come true, though maybe not the way they’d planned.

Whilst Jungkook had been living in luxury and comfort, his best friend had apparently been spending his days as an abused slave, and the guilt of not having saved him earlier had him keeping close to his fellow Omega.

From behind the dark curtains they could make out the guests enjoying themselves at their tables, wine glasses tinkling and jewelery flashing in the lights. But at the head of it all sat his packmates, imposing and tall in their sleek robes, though Jungkook could tell just how uncomfortable they looked as they held stilted conversation with a man Jungkook could only just make out.

From the side profile he was as tall as Namjoon, with tanned skin and long, wavy golden hair. His long lashes and short beard seemed to be of similar colour. He wore blue robes and sapphires that practically screamed of his wealth and stature without the addition of the silver crown on his head.

He looked like a king. And despite what his packmates had said about King Corin, he didn’t look particularly threatening at all. In fact he seemed to be rather enjoying himself as he prattled on to Seokjin and the others, hands gesturing animatedly with his speech.

‘Is it almost time?’ Yugyeom hissed, letting the curtain fall.

‘Yeah, we should probably get to the platform!’ Jungkook answered, scrambling awkwardly backwards to crouch on the platform that would raise them up to stage level for a dramatic entrance. 

A particularly flustered looking attendant gave them a thumbs up and Jungkook took a deep breath of anticipation, knowing that this would be the biggest dance he had ever performed. It would be their voices that sang the lyrics and their feet which followed the steps, and no matter the stresses of Yugyeom’s experience or the fact that they’d been brought here originally against their will, no one would take away the elation of their dream coming true.

This performance would truly be a song fit for a king.

When the lights went out Seokjin knew that the performance was about to begin.

His pack had been mesmerised once before by the dazzling Omega, and by the scent rolling off his mates they were extremely excited also. Jimin appeared as though he would vibrate out of his seat, and Seokjin watched Yoongi place a calming hand on the younger’s thigh to stop its jiggling.

Beside him King Corin leaned casually back in his seat, his expression settling into one of boredom as he clearly did not expect their entertainment to please him. The Alpha had been driving Seokjin crazy all night with his incessant chatter about useless things like the weather and the latest fashions in the west. Though admittedly it was better than hearing him talk about his Omegas, both of which stood in the shadows, heads bowed and eyes staring into the floor, never once moving or making a sound. They were slim and pretty, with shining waves of midnight hair and perfectly applied cherry lipstick. Though any beauty they may have possessed was dashed by the dead look in their eyes whenever they were invited to lift their heads.

Corin had ignored them completely, just as he had ignored Seokjin’s packmates, having only wanted to speak to ‘the Head Alpha Prince’.

Well, Seokjin thought, at least now he’ll get a shock.

No matter how much the foreign king wanted to look down on Seoul he would never be able to complain about the performance that was about to begin.  
The first performance started with a bang.

Literally.

Fire sprung up in jets around the stage, causing the guests to gasp and pay attention to the dancing flames, thus missing the movement of the black clad figures rising silently from the floor to crouch in the centres of the stage.

Pulsing music began and Jungkook and Yugyeom’s voices filled the room, singing with a more aggressive tone than Seokjin was expecting. At the same time the two of them arose and burst into motion, their movements fluid but forceful like the song. At the climax of the chorus a fast beat struck up and Seokjin was left breathless as Jungkook and Yugyeom executed some incredible footwork whilst intermittent flames burst upwards. The two of them reached for one another, snagging each other’s shirts and yanking the fabric smoothly away, leaving them bare chested for all to see.

Intricate designs had been painted along the lines and curves of their body, making it seem as though liquid fire was in their veins. The lines seemed to ripple with each movement, flickering and dancing across tanned skin.

A sharp gasp had Seokjin looking behind him to see the Im pack staring at the stage with eyes wider than saucers, a few tears escaping from some. He could understand. It was overwhelming for anyone to see their pack Omega so beautiful, powerful and graceful, especially if they also happened to have the voices of angels.

When that song was over, Jungkook and Yugyeom seemed to melt into the floor and disappear, likely below stage in order to prepare for the next performance in a few minutes.

With the dancers gone and the music having faded, the silent spell was broken from the room and applause and chatter began to fill the space. His packmates remained staring at the spot where Jungkook disappeared and Seokjin almost laughed at their blank expressions. Clearly they were all highly affected by Jungkook’s powerful performance.

But they weren’t the only one affected.

A small sultry laugh drew his attention to King Corin who was grinning at the space where the Omegas had disappeared.

‘My goodness Prince Seokjin, who were those dancers?’ he asked in his deep voice.

Seokjin plastered a fake smile on his lips and leaned closer to be heard above the din.

‘The dancer on the left was the Im pack Omega, Kim Yugyeom whilst the other was my own Omega, Jeon Jungkook,’ he replied.

King Corin’s perfect features morphed into a pout that may have charmed and fooled some, but was clearly laced with cunning.

‘How sad to see such talented Omegas already in use. Tell me Seokjin, how many pups has he given you?’

Seokjin had to reign in the furious snarl that wanted to burst loose at the insinuation that his beautiful, talented, intelligent baby was useful as nothing more than a breeder. 

‘None so far, we have only recently made Jungkook ours,’ Seokjin answered, putting clear emphasis on his ownership.

Something about the heaviness of Corin’s gaze on Jungkook and Yugyeom throughout the rest of the performances unsettled him deeply. Though he acted politely and complimented the entertainment thoroughly, his gaze was eerily focussed on the Omegas as they twirled in white silk like swans or danced blindfolded with gleaming swords.

Though Seokjin was wary, he perhaps was too blinded by the belief that Jungkook and Yugyeom’s legal bonding to their packs would be enough to cause Corin to steer clear. In the days that followed he would wish that he had paid more attention to the small signs and the hunger ignited in those piercing eyes.


End file.
